"My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity."
--George Bernard ShawLive life with "Le pessimisme de l'intelligence et l'optimisme de la volonté."
--Romain Rolland"Resigned cynicism with a young edge!"
--My cousin"It's cynical idealism."
--Me

9/07/2003

Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" is quite funny. Here's my fav part so far... He says he is gonna start a journal of his days, but didn't do it right at first b/c it would be far too dull...and would sound like this:

"Sept. the 30th. After I got to Shore and had escap'd drowning, instead of being thankful to God for my Deliverance, having first vomited with the great Quantity of salt Water which was gotten into my Stomach, and recovering my self a little, I ran about the Shore, wringing my Hands and beating my Head and Face, exclaiming at my Misery, and crying out, I was undone, undone, till tyr'd and faint I was forc'd to lye down on the Ground to repose, but durst not sleep for fear of being devour'd."

Hilarious, huh?

This is what he writes instead:

"September 30, 1659. I poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being shipwreck'd during a dreadful Storm, in teh offing, came on Shore on this dismal unfortunate Island, which I call'd the Island fo Despair, all the rest of the Ship's Company being drown'd, and my self almost dead. All the rest of that Day I spent in afflicting my self at the dismal Circumstances I was brought to, viz. I had neither Food, House, Clothes, Weapon, or Place to fly to, and in Despair of any Relief, saw nothing but Death before me, either that I should be devour'd by wild Beasts, murther'd by Savages, or starv'd to Death for Want of Food. At the Approach fo Night, I slept in a Tree for fear of wild Creatures, but slept soundly tho' it rain'd all Night."